Changes are coming to the Town of Oakville’s outdoor skating and shinny programs. Due to the limited number of spaces that are available on the Trafalgar Park outdoor rink, the town is now introducing a new service for booking reservations for recreational skates starting on Monday, January 18, 2021.
Oakville News first reported on the Trafalgar Park rink staying open three weeks ago on the first day of shutdown over the holidays. But with the second state of emergency, things are changing once again.
The one thing that isn't changing? The Trafalgar Park outdoor rink is staying open for public use. Not only is it the only facility staying open in town, but it's been popular enough that this new booking system is needed to manage demand. And exercise is one of the few reasons provincial government has said it's (cautiously) okay to leave you home.
To book a time slot, patrons must have a registration account that includes family and client numbers. To learn more about the registration information, please visit https://www.oakville.ca/culturerec/registration-information.html.
Starting on Sunday, January 17, 2021, all online reservations that can be booked through https://active.oakville.ca/ will open every day at 9 a.m. for the next day in advance (and only the next day.) You will be able to book one skate time per individual, per day. You can search by activity or location for available skating times.
Select the register button on the website to reserve your spot(s). After you have completed the reservation you will need to either take a screenshot of the confirmation or print out the confirmation and show it to an on-site staff member. Admissions must be pre-paid online. In-person cash payments and drop-ins, as well as complimentary passes, will no longer be accepted at this time.
The Town says it is "Proud to support the health of its citizens and is happy to provide outdoor skating to people of all ages at the Trafalgar Park outdoor rink. But spaces have become very limited in order to meet the safety standards that Ontario has put in place and are on a first come first serve basis."
The Town also asks that if you are unable to go to your scheduled appointment to cancel your reservation in order to give space to other people who may want to go.
The best way to withdraw is to log on to your personal registration account up until midnight the day before your booking. To cancel last minute on the day of your reservation, please call the Trafalgar Park Community Centre directly in order to withdraw.
Trafalgar Park Community Centre Outdoors – weather permitting
All recreational skates must be pre-booked in advance using Active Oakville. Sticks and pucks are only allowed during scheduled Stick and Puck times.
The outdoor skating at Trafalgar Park website also has more information.
Outdoor Recreational Skates
- Mondays: Hourly starting with 10-10:45 a.m. and ending with 10-10:45 p.m.
- Tuesday to Sunday: Hourly starting with 8-8:45 a.m. and ending with 10-10:45 p.m.
Outdoor Stick and Puck
- Monday and Wednesday: 3-6 p.m.
- Tuesday and Thursday: 10 a.m. to Noon and 7-9 p.m.
- Friday: 7-9 p.m.
- Saturday: 10 a.m. to Noon and 3-6 p.m.
Trafalgar Park will remain open even after the recent measures that were put in place so everyone can a great time at the skating rinks.